The NBA 2014-15 Regular Season Thread

[whomario]

Historic Night in the NBA: Kobe is now the all time leader in ... missed FGs

Dirk moves past Olajuwon into 9th place among the All Time Scoring List, should move into 7th this season and past Shaq into 6th next season and hit 30k before it is all said and done.


Other than that, the Spurs getting better and Grizzlies 7-1.

[Lathum]

Watching this Mexico city game. There is no life in that arena. It's like the early games of the NCAA tournament.

[nol]

Originally Posted by nol

The Magic definitely like Fournier and almost drafted him in 2012. He's better than marginal, since he's already proven by age 20 that he's at the very least a rotation player that can shoot it.

It's still a good trade for Denver, but Orlando's front office has done enough over the past couple years to get the benefit of the doubt that they're not totally getting whitewashed on this deal.

I don't think it's too early to say that this was another trade that's worked out for Orlando even though everyone thought they were stupid/tanking for making the deal. Fournier has scored 19, 24, and 28 points in his last 3 games and is shooting over 50% from 3 for the year.

Meanwhile, Denver is playing like absolute garbage and Afflalo's done nothing for them.

[stevew]

"Why don't we have the owners play half the games?" Roberts said, speaking in her Harlem office to ESPN The Magazine. "There would be no money if not for the players."
"Let's call it what it is. There. Would. Be. No. Money," she added, pausing for emphasis. "Thirty more owners can come in, and nothing will change. These guys [the players] go? The game will change. So let's stop pretending."

[stevew]

NBA owners expendable, players' union chief Michele Roberts says - ESPN

[JonInMiddleGA]

Somebody get the popcorn ready ... something to eat while watching the NBA labor strife that seems sure to come.

[sterlingice]

Is it any harder to fail at collective bargaining than the NBAPA the last couple of times?

SI

[Solecismic]

Originally Posted by stevew

"Why don't we have the owners play half the games?" Roberts said, speaking in her Harlem office to ESPN The Magazine. "There would be no money if not for the players."
"Let's call it what it is. There. Would. Be. No. Money," she added, pausing for emphasis. "Thirty more owners can come in, and nothing will change. These guys [the players] go? The game will change. So let's stop pretending."

That's an interesting point. Once, a bunch of people got together and took a chance and created a league. It became something, and they deserve to benefit from that. But does that continue forever? If not, how do you govern the league? Difficult question.

I trust the owners to do a better job than the players in governing a league, though. The players would be more interested in seniority, naturally.

Another interesting point is the one Derrick Rose brought up yesterday. He said he sits out games because he's concerned about the long-term effects of playing on his health after retirement.

We're used to the picture of professional athletes sacrificing that health for more immediate goals. They're "heroes" for that reason. Rose is challenging that picture.

This seems like a reasonable decision on his part, but it goes to the heart of fans and fanaticism. I don't think it will play well in Chicago.

[miami_fan]

Derrick, you should have followed the media advice from Sheed!

[Desnudo]

Originally Posted by stevew

"Why don't we have the owners play half the games?" Roberts said, speaking in her Harlem office to ESPN The Magazine. "There would be no money if not for the players."
"Let's call it what it is. There. Would. Be. No. Money," she added, pausing for emphasis. "Thirty more owners can come in, and nothing will change. These guys [the players] go? The game will change. So let's stop pretending."

Breaking news - union leader doesn't understand how economics works

[SirFozzie]

The 76ers are trailing the Mavericks 54-14 halfway through the 2nd quarter.

[miami_fan]

Originally Posted by SirFozzie

The 76ers are trailing the Mavericks 54-14 halfway through the 2nd quarter.

They are waiting on their SI cover story.


The 76ers: Your 2016-2017 NBA Champions

[Suicane75]

Sixers make it very easy for me not to give a fudge about the NBA anymore.

[miami_fan]

Originally Posted by Solecismic

That's an interesting point. Once, a bunch of people got together and took a chance and created a league. It became something, and they deserve to benefit from that. But does that continue forever? If not, how do you govern the league? Difficult question.

I trust the owners to do a better job than the players in governing a league, though. The players would be more interested in seniority, naturally.

Another interesting point is the one Derrick Rose brought up yesterday. He said he sits out games because he's concerned about the long-term effects of playing on his health after retirement.

We're used to the picture of professional athletes sacrificing that health for more immediate goals. They're "heroes" for that reason. Rose is challenging that picture.

This seems like a reasonable decision on his part, but it goes to the heart of fans and fanaticism. I don't think it will play well in Chicago.

Annnnnnnnddddd, Rose injured his hamstring tonight.

[korme]

I'm starting to think Derrick Rose is Grant Hill and/or Penny.

[Lathum]

I loved hearing Barkley destroy that little bitch Rose last night.

Newsflash for Rose, I'm 39 and my knees and ankles hurt, it happens to us all. If he is so worried he should retire and go work for an insurance company. I would never want that guy on my team.

[RainMaker]

I just don't think Rose cares much about winning or competing. He likes selling shoes and making money. The playing not so much.

[Lathum]

Originally Posted by RainMaker

I just don't think Rose cares much about winning or competing. He likes selling shoes and making money. The playing not so much.

Which is why I would never want him on my team. If he has half the heart of Noah they would be winning multiple titles.

He wants to be a brand icon, not a sports icon.

[RainMaker]

It's also tough to tell who the real Rose is. His brother and other "friends" control so much of his life.

There are some in Chicago who feel Rose is actually a really great guy who loves basketball and would give anything to win but is getting fed terrible advice by people he is close with who have different agendas.

[weegeebored]

Originally Posted by RainMaker

It's also tough to tell who the real Rose is. His brother and other "friends" control so much of his life.

There are some in Chicago who feel Rose is actually a really great guy who loves basketball and would give anything to win but is getting fed terrible advice by people he is close with who have different agendas.

There's a lot of people who want to believe this. But this is the same guy who got his high school grades fudged and had someone take his SAT. And unless one of his posse (or whatever the current urban word is for it) is a ventriloquist, those stupid comments over the last three seasons are emanating from his mouth/half-a-brain. Add that to the fact that he is really one of the most overrated players in the league -- and that was true before his injuries. He's got "magic" skills alright -- they are an illusion. At best he's got an average shot. At best he's an average NBA passer (not even an average point guard passer). He has below average ball handling skills. Did you ever notice how many times at the end of games he has turned the ball over in his career? He looks like effing Ben Gordon with the ball in his hands. He's becoming more and more like the NBA version of Jay Cutler. And plays about as many games in a season. I guess that he's just saving himself for the '16/'17 season when he'll be an MVP candidate in order to get some idiot GM to sign him to another fat contract.

And while I'm ranting, Doug McDermott looks more like Adam Morrison than Kyle Korver. He is god-awful at the NBA level.

[Vince, Pt. II]

Going to be interesting to see how the Kings react following their latest two games. They started the season strong, and Cousins looks like he may be figuring things out, but two huge blown leads in a row - the most recent on a terribly botched defensive effort on an inbounds pass with 0.3 left on the clock - will test their morale early in the year.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by weegeebored

And while I'm ranting, Doug McDermott looks more like Adam Morrison than Kyle Korver. He is god-awful at the NBA level.

This made me randomly curious, so I looked up the stats for the first 9 games of the respective careers

McDermott: 114 minutes, 5/17 3p, 16/32 all FGA, 14 rebounds, 6 turnovers
Korver: 35 minutes, 3/9 3p, 3/14 all FGA, 7 rebounds, 2 turnovers

It took Korver 19 games (not counting 5 DNP's) to reach 114 minutes in his rookie season. In the first 18 games he was 5/19 on 3PA, in the next 5 outings he went 12/15.

[Coffee Warlord]

I'm beginning to think weegeeboard is actually Rosenbloom (for the non Chicago folks, our local troll sports writer for the Tribune) in disguise.

[nol]

Originally Posted by Coffee Warlord

I'm beginning to think weegeeboard is actually Rosenbloom (for the non Chicago folks, our local troll sports writer for the Tribune) in disguise.

Either way, the takes are coming in SCORCHING hot!

The ending of that Kings game was weird to me. Disregarding whether getting a rebound, calling a timeout, and completing the alley-oop can take place in 0.6 seconds, the inbounds pass definitely got tipped. If every single arena has cameras measuring the exact location of players at all times, it should be child's play to show that the ball's trajectory changed in mid-air.

[Groundhog]

Two missed layups by LeBron in the first half on plays he would've thrown down dunks last season.

[Lathum]

Pelicans have 80 points AT THE HALF against the Twolves.

[Groundhog]

LeBron isn't even putting his hands up on D.

[Neon_Chaos]

So in the past 3 days, we have had a lot of huge blowouts indicative of how far ahead the good teams are of the bad teams.

YAY PARITY!

[nol]

Originally Posted by Groundhog

LeBron isn't even putting his hands up on D.

Definitely one of the most lackluster 42-point performances with the game-saving defensive play anyone could ever have.

[Groundhog]

Originally Posted by nol

Definitely one of the most lackluster 42-point performances with the game-saving defensive play anyone could ever have.

Yup he had 41 points and made the game saving swipe.... But he is also not getting around screens, not defending shooters, and showing a complete lack of hustle. Yeah, he put up a ton of points, but hey, he's the most talented guy in the world. Against this (lack of) D tonight being played on both sides, LeBron probably could've beat Kobe's record.

Hey, I'm a Cavs fan and I'm happy LeBron is back, but he looks off.

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by Neon_Chaos

So in the past 3 days, we have had a lot of huge blowouts indicative of how far ahead the good teams are of the bad teams.

YAY PARITY!

Winless 76ers are within 3 of the 7-1 Rockets on the road right now. Sigh

SI

[stevew]

That game played out like Carlito's way and Bron was Benny from the Bronx

[nol]

Add the Hawks to the long list of teams that are tanking the entire regular season because they're on pace to lose a game by 30+ points.

[stevew]

Dion was +45. Crazy.

[mckerney]

Timberwolves managed to put up a better defensive effort tonight and held Dallas to 131.

[stevew]

Cavs have 8 of 9 at home including tonight. Would be nice to put together a huge win streak.

[weegeebored]

Originally Posted by Coffee Warlord

I'm beginning to think weegeeboard is actually Rosenbloom (for the non Chicago folks, our local troll sports writer for the Tribune) in disguise.

I had a much longer reply planned but I'm on a deadline. What part of my post about Rose was incorrect?

[kingfc22]

In case you missed this during last night's Warriors blowout win.

Crazy Lance does himself one better.

Lance Stephenson draws foul by slapping himself in his own face | NBA | Sporting News

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by Coffee Warlord

I'm beginning to think weegeeboard is actually Rosenbloom (for the non Chicago folks, our local troll sports writer for the Tribune) in disguise.

You can certainly tell how well the bears are doing by how often he shows up in the weekly NFL threads.

[weegeebored]

Originally Posted by Atocep

You can certainly tell how well the bears are doing by how often he shows up in the weekly NFL threads.

Really? You're going to go there? You still want to stand by all of your...um...misguided comments about Trestman and the Bears offense from last year? I can repost them if you like. No one asked you to comment so you can go away now.

[nol]

With all the talk about blowouts and uncompetitive games, I calculated the average margin of victory in all NBA games this year (excluding games played today), and it's 10.21 points. Although it will almost certainly go down since strength of schedule will begin to even out, I wonder how this compares to the past.

My intuition is that 10.21 is likely just magnified by a few recent blowouts and isn't too out of line, but I could see it being higher than in the past just because teams shoot three pointers more often (which by definition introduces more variance to the scoring margin) and more accurately than ever before. If a team starts out hitting 8+ 3s in the first quarter, the game becomes that much more likely to head into blowout territory.

[nol]

dola, what are they trying to save Kobe for at this point? He's done after next season. Let him go for his 50+ points, it's not like he's gonna need to stay fresh for the playoff run down the stretch.

[Groundhog]

Jeremy Lin: 0-2 shooting, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 turnover, 22 minutes. Yuck.

All aboard The Kobe Retirement Tour....

[Desnudo]

Originally Posted by Groundhog

Jeremy Lin: 0-2 shooting, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 turnover, 22 minutes. Yuck.

All aboard The Kobe Retirement Tour....

Kobe Bryant 3-12 3 pointers. Yeah! Every non-Lakers fan.

[Shkspr]

Originally Posted by Groundhog

Jeremy Lin: 0-2 shooting, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 turnover, 22 minutes. Yuck.

All aboard The Kobe Retirement Tour....

You know, the Lakers might just have to give serious thought to that Kobe for Beal, Nene, and a couple of firsts offer, especially if Wahington can talk them into adding Nash and Wall into the deal.

-Sam Smith

[Groundhog]

It all makes sense now! They trade Kobe and Nash for Beal, Nene and maybe Wall too, and then sign Love as a free agent! Genius!!!!

[whomario]

Not a single player shot over 50% in the Rockets-Thunder game, has that ever happened before ?

[Desnudo]

Originally Posted by whomario

Not a single player shot over 50% in the Rockets-Thunder game, has that ever happened before ?

Yes if you count Kobe as five players

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by whomario

Not a single player shot over 50% in the Rockets-Thunder game, has that ever happened before ?

And both teams ended under 30% shooting for the night. How ugly

SI

[miami_fan]

Jeff Taylor of Charlotte Hornets suspended total of 24 games after pleading guilty in domestic violence case - ESPN

Sorry Commish. The standard has been set whether you like it or not.